Many people are afflicted with some degree of snoring. Snoring is not only an annoyance to others, but may be symptomatic of an underlying breathing problem. Snoring happens when turbulent air causes the uvula, soft palate, and base of the tongue to vibrate against the posterior wall of the pharynx, producing the rough snoring noise. Snoring noise levels can range from the barely audible to almost 90 dB. Snoring can cause the snorer humiliation, embarrassment, and emotional distress in addition to the daytime sleepiness, listlessness, and reduced disease resistance caused by lack of restful sleep in both the snorer and those around him.
Snoring can occur as a result of partially blocked or obstructed nasal passages, such as an occlusion of the pharynx over an area extending from the base of the tongue inferiorly to the uvula and soft palate superiorly. The obstructions can either directly increase the turbulence of the air flowing from the nasal passages or urge breathing through the mouth. Both situations can result in vibration of the uvula, soft palate, and tongue against the pharynx wall to produce snoring.
In the former case, air is drawn through the nostrils into the nasal cavities. The air proceeds through the tapering cavities, through a narrow nasal valve, and then through a widening passageway that ultimately leads from the nose to the lungs. Most obstructions occur at or near the nasal valve where the air flow is most constricted. The tissue comprising the walls of the nasal cavity can become so loose that during inhalation the walls are drawn in and collapse into the nasal valve, partially or completely blocking it. When this happens during sleep, snoring can result. A more serious result of nasal passage obstruction is that the sleeper may get insufficient oxygen. In the extreme case this condition is known as sleep apnea. People suffering from sleep apnea do not receive the full restful benefits from sleep and tend to be tired throughout the day.
In the latter case of preferential mouth breathing, throat and lung irritation may result from the inhalation of air that has not undergone warming and/or filtration through the nose. Such physical irritation may lead to sore throats, coughs, or increases incidence of infection due to the presence of foreign particles that would otherwise be filtered by the nose, in addition to sleep disturbances.
A further problem that may be experienced is the inability to breath through the nose during eating. Such a problem may result in both physical (choking) and social consequences.
Perhaps the most common prescribed treatments of serious and chronic nasal obstruction are corrective surgery and adherence to a strict and demanding medical regimen. However, these options are not acceptable to all patients, and may not be appropriate for those with more minor afflictions. In addition to being expensive, these treatments are often only partially successful and the problem may recur and worsen over time.
Devices known as nasal dilators have been developed as alternatives to surgery. One class of dilators are those worn on the exterior of the nose. These dilators attach to the outside of the nose and exert a tensile force on the nose to pull the nasal passages open. Examples of these in the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,224 to Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,605 to Muchin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,503 to Doubek et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,103 to Johnson. While useful, these external dilators have the drawbacks of being unsightly and uncomfortable. They are also limited to addressing obstructions located under the skin that the dilators attach to on either side of the nose. Finally, the amount of tensile force the external dilator may apply must be less than the adhesive force used to attach it to the exterior of the nose.
Examples of internally worn nasal dilators in the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,104 to Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,977 to Rezakhany, U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,299 to Russo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,035 to Rella, U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,799 to Caballero, U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,152 to Kuhlman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,138 to Carlock, U.S. Pat. No. 2,335,936 to Hanlon, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,597,331 to Thurston et al. These include nasal inserts of various designs, such as cages, frameworks, tubes, and balls to be inserted into the nasal passages.
Hence, there is a need for an improved nasal cavity insert.